The Darkness Inside My Heart
by Lionblaze and Jayfeather
Summary: Taka's always been second. He won't be King; he's not his father's favorite; he's not the wanted friend. But he's always been Sarabi's first. She's his best friend... until the day she stood up against Mufasa who begins to like her. Noticing Sarabi's interest for his big brother, Taka is willing to do everything in his power to keep them apart, no matter the consequences.
1. Prologue

**The Darkness Inside My Heart**

Taka is Mufasa's younger brother. And he's tired of being called that way. He's not even _someone, _he's Mufasa's _brother. _His father won't even take time for him; he's too busy teaching Mufasa everything he needs to know to be King.

There's only his mother who's still willing to take care of him. Is it because he's just like her? Sometimes, he wishes he was just like his brother, and just like his father.

But Taka's always been more patient than Mufasa. He's always accepted that his brother was the true heir, and that he would never be King ... unless Mufasa died. It had never truly bothered him ... until Mufasa's eyes set upon the only friend that Taka had, Sarabi.

Mufasa had already taken away everything that Taka had. And he wouldn't let his older brother take away the one person who never rejected him, who had always been there for him whenever he needed someone.

He'd do everything to prevent his brother from winning the lioness he secretly fancied.


	2. Chapter 1

**So here's Chapter 1. I hope that you'll like that! **

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"Can I play with you?" Taka asks. His big brother, Mufasa, has always been some sort of model to him ever since he was born. He's always wanted him to be proud of him.

Mufasa shoots his brother a look. How can they even be brothers, sometimes he wonders. It's because of their mother, indeed, if Taka doesn't have this golden fur. That doesn't make him any different. It's everything else that makes him different.

Taka's skinny. No matter how hard he'll try, he's always going to be skinny. It's not that he's weak, but he'll never be as strong as Mufasa. The two brothers don't need to fight to know this. Anyone who'd see them would know.

"Oh, come on, you're not gonna let your little brother play with us?" one of Mufasa's friend complains. "We'll have to be careful, and play dumb games 'cause he can't keep up with us."

Taka feels taken aback a little when he hears this friend of Mufasa calling him "little brother." He might have been born a minute or two after Mufasa, but that doesn't make him his younger brother. Not really. But in everyone else's mind, it made Taka Mufasa's younger brother. It wouldn't have bothered Taka this much, if only everyone else accepted the fact that he was his brother's equal. Because Mufasa was going to be King didn't mean that Taka had to be left alone.

Mufasa winces at Taka, already knowing what he'll say. "Sorry, brother," he tells Taka. "Maybe another time."

Taka nods his head, to show that he has understood, and that he's not upset. "Okay."

"How about we go for a little tour of the Kingdom tomorrow with Dad?" Mufasa suggests.

Taka's face immediately lightens up. "Oh, you think he'll want to bring me?" Last time, Ahadi―Mufasa and Taka's father―refused because he only wanted the _true _heir with him.

Mufasa gives his brother a smile. "Yeah, don't worry. I'll deal with him." And on that, he's gone with his friends.

As Taka watches them going away, he can't help but feel sad. What Mufasa said ... that he'll deal with their father ... that wasn't what Taka wanted to hear. He wished that Ahadi wanted him with them when he'd show Mufasa the Kingdom. He doesn't want him to _have _to bring him. Taka'd want Ahadi to be willing to bring him on his own. But he knows that it's never going to happen. Ahadi may love Taka, too, but his priority will always be Mufasa. He made that very clear from the start. Taka's never complained about this. He knows that his father needs to prioritize Mufasa over him because if Taka has the right to make a mistake, Mufasa doesn't. He's going to be King. There's no room for mistakes. He has to do the right thing, at the right time. Always. Taka's never going to have to feel as pressured. But sometimes, he wished he did because at least, the lions would, maybe, want to hang out with him.

"They went without you again?"

Taka turns around and finds out his best friend of all time, Sarabi looking at him, with a little concern in her eyes. He walks to her and tries to smile. "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. Mom said that it was normal for him to want to have his own friends. She said that I should get some on my own."

Sarabi smiles. "You have me."

"Lucky me, I have you." And it was true. Without Sarabi, Taka'd be nothing. Well, at least, he'd feel like nothing. When he's with Sarabi, he feels wanted, and needed. Although he never really understood why Sarabi was being friends with him―because truly, he wasn't that funny―but he was glad that she didn't spend time with his brother. She was his best friend. And he was hers. All that they both needed was each other. And that worked out pretty well for the both of them. Sarabi didn't want to get involved with Mufasa's fan club. So she stayed with Taka. And they got along pretty well. He's known her his entire life. She's always been so nice with him. That's how they grew closer, and now they were best friends.

"So, what should we do today?" Sarabi asks.

She knows that Taka always has those weird ideas ... that sometimes get them in lot of trouble. Well, it would get them in even more trouble if Taka was going to be King. But since he's not, the punishment isn't as bad. So he always does it again.

Taka looks at Sarabi, thinking about where he'd take her today. And he has an idea. But it's risky. Very risky. Ahadi said to Mufasa that he could never go there. That it wasn't part of his Kingdom. But he never said anything about Taka, right? Besides, if Taka hadn't heard his father talk to Mufasa, he'd never know. So, seriously, what harm could it make if he just went there? Just to take a quick look. They'd be back before anyone would notice that they were gone.

"I heard that there was some nice place that we haven't seen yet," he tells Sarabi.

"And where's that place?"

"It's an elephant grave," he explains.

Sarabi opens up her eyes widely. She's never seen such thing. Of course she wants to see this. She gets up on her paws, and looks around, wondering if someone's watching them.

"No one's watching," she whispers to Taka. "Let's go."

Taka and Sarabi almost fly down the rocks, and they start to head to the elephant grave. Taka's known the way. He's just always been too much of a coward to go on his own. But with Sarabi by his side, he feels invincible. It doesn't take them too long to get there. But when they do, it's Sarabi who's taken aback.

"I don't think we should be here," she says.

"Come on," Taka insists. "It'll only take a couple of minutes. We'll be out of here, and on our way back before you even notice it."

Sarabi hesitates a little, but finally gives in and follows Taka. Ahead of them, there's this huge elephant skull. The two cubs give each other a glance and run towards it. They've always been very impressed with elephants and seeing their bones ... Once in a lifetime.

"Wow, it's even bigger from here!" Taka says.

"Look at that," Sarabi points out.

She's almost _inside _of the skull. "There's something moving out there. Maybe it's their brain," she laughs.

Curious, Taka follows her. It's all dark around them, and ... it's surprisingly warm. That's when they hear the noise. It sounds like a baby whining for something to eat, or for a mother, perhaps.

Before he could do anything, Sarabi has already turned her head in the way the noise came from and was heading that way.

"Careful, Sarabi," Taka warns her.

But she doesn't listen to him. She just waves her tail at him, as to say that nothing harmful can happen, that she'll be all right. Then, something falls behind them, making the both of them startle. Scared, Sarabi runs out of the skull and begs Taka to do the same, but he just can't. What's in front of him is freezing him to death.

There are three babies hyenas. They're staring at him. They're starving. He can see their ribs. They'll die soon if he doesn't do something to help.

"Taka, come on, it's no fun," Sarabi whines.

"I'll be out in a minute," he says. He doesn't want her to come in and see what he has found. He doesn't exactly know why, but he feels like he needs to keep the hyenas his secret. His father's always said that hyenas were evil. But how can these three be mean? They barely have the strength to stand up. How could they put up a good―even just a simple―fight? They're totally harmless.

What should he do, now, he wonders. It would be very easy to kill the three. But to kill them ... It just seems so radical.

As he takes one step closer, one of the hyenas looks up, and in its eyes, he can see that in a way, it's just like him.

"Please," the hyena begs. That's all it can say.

They're just like him. He doesn't sense another hyena anywhere near this spot. It means that the three babies have been there for quite a while. It means that their mother has probably abandoned them ... or was killed. He remembered that Ahadi had followed a bunch of hyenas who were on the Pride Lands and had hunted them down ... and killed them, indeed. Maybe their mother was part of that. Maybe she was dead. And her babies were waiting for her while she'd never come back. They'd starve to death if Taka didn't do something about it.

"Taka," Sarabi calls again. "If you don't get out of here, I'll start to worry."

"Don't worry," Taka replies immediately.

He knows that what he's about to do might get him in very big trouble. Therefore, he can't share this with Sarabi. It's probably the first time that he'll be hiding something from her. He doesn't like it; but it'll protect her. And he'd do anything to keep her away from trouble, although being with him was trouble.

"I'll be back soon," he promises the hyenas.

The second after that, he was gone.

"What took you so long?" Sarabi wonders.

"I thought that I had seen something," Taka lies. "But there was nothing."

"It was weird," Sarabi agrees.

Taka nods his head, and they both start to head back home. Now, Taka has a secret and he's the only one to carry its weight. He needs to figure something out. He needs to figure out what to do about them. Not all hyenas are bad, right? They can't all be bad. There are bad lions, too. But there are good ones as well. _If it works for the lions, it should work for the hyenas_, Taka thinks. He'll just get them something to eat and drink and see what he can do with them. If nothing can be done, he'll just kill them quickly. He knows how to; his father has shown him how to hunt. It shouldn't be harder.

But he knows that he won't do this. He doesn't exactly understands why, but he feels the need to protect those three hyenas, to keep them alive. He thinks that ... maybe they could be friends.

Why would he have such thought if his father has always despised hyenas? Maybe this is exactly the reason why. Maybe his father would bother about him if he only assumed that Mufasa wasn't the only one who needed his help and his attention. Taka wanted it too. And he'd find a way to get it.


	3. Chapter 2

Taka hunts discretely for the three baby hyenas once every two or three days. He can't escape that much often without his mother noticing. She's the only one who actually sees him. Sarabi's been asking him what was up with him, but he didn't tell her. He doesn't want her to know, which is quite weird. He thinks that Sarabi wouldn't understand. No one would.

"Taka," Sarabi calls.

He turns around, and a smile immediately pops on his face as he sees her coming closer. She goes past Mufasa and his little gang without even glancing at them. She didn't even look at them! Taka couldn't be happy that someone actually cares about him ... more than about his brother. Mufasa has always had everything. Sometimes, it's just too good to be true. Maybe this is why he feels like pushing her away sometimes.

"Hi," he says.

"How are you?"

He shrugs. "Fine." He doesn't want to continue that sentence because it would just scare her away. He's doing fine ... now that she's around.

She smiles. "I'm doing great too, thanks for asking," she teases.

He rolls her eyes and pushes her a little. She pushes him back, and they start messing around, just playing like two kids should. But they roll over and Taka ends up hitting Mufasa's paws. Since he's with his friends, he's not going to let that slip so easily. Taka gets up, and immediately backs off, knowing what he'll get for this. Sarabi stops laughing, almost sensing the tension in the air.

"I'm ... I'm sorry," Taka stammers.

Mufasa's friends start to make fun of him, just as if he weren't there. Taka thinks he sees some ... pity in his brother's eyes, but it's gone the second after that. "You're sorry? Go play somewhere else, Taka. It's not a playground for cubs, here."

But you are a cub! Taka feels like screaming, but he doesn't.

"Are you deaf? I said, 'Move,'" Mufasa repeats. His friends' laughter get even louder and louder.

He's about to give in when Sarabi comes next to Taka. She's standing up on her paws, as to dare Mufasa to try to make her move. "No," she says. "He's not going to go anywhere, right, Taka?"

She turns her head at him, seeking for approval, but all he can do is stay still and stare. Mufasa rolls her eyes, annoyed, while his friends are just having too much fun, looking at Mufasa's brother being defended by a _lioness. _He can't even stand up for himself! But she can. And Sarabi's done seeing Taka being pushed around by everyone. They should all open up their eyes and see how great he actually is. He's real. Not fake like Mufasa. He's not perfect, but at least, he admits it.

"He's definitely leaving," Mufasa says. "But you can stay."

Sarabi almost feels like throwing up. Her tail moves behind her angrily. She wishes that Mufasa weren't going to be the King. If so, she could have jumped on him and taught him a lesson. But he's the heir, and doing that ... Doing that would be so punishable, she doesn't even want to think about it.

"I'm not staying with you. Don't come here, acting like you own the place," Sarabi snaps.

"But he does own the place," a friend reminds her.

She bares her teeth at him, madly. But that only makes them laugh harder.

"You're not King yet," she says. "No one has to do as you say. And he's still your brother."

Mufasa doesn't even seem pissed anymore. He just seems to be very intrigued by this cub who dares to confront hiim. That's probably a first. Usually, the cubs are trying to be his friend, not his brother's. That means that she's special. And ... Mufasa notices it, she's beautiful. She may be just a kid, and so does he, but his father told him that he would have to take a lioness to rule the Kingdom with him. That could be her, he thinks. She could be the one.

"So what he's still his brother? Have you even seem what a loser he is? He can't even stand up for himself. I'm telling you, we're lucky that he wasn't the first born."

That wasn't meant to hurt Sarabi, but it did hurt her. She can't even understand how people can be so mean with Taka. He didn't do anything to wrong them. He usually stays out of their way, and he does everything in his power to please them. Sarabi knows that; she's seen Taka. She's seen the way he behaves around his brother. He makes sure that he never disturbs anyone. It's almost as if he wants to be a ghost to everyone. But Sarabi will not let him be no one. He can—and he will be. She refuses to stay still as she watches him ruin everything that he could have.

"You don't know anything about that! At least he's not trying to dominate everyone. He's not trying to prove everyone how strong he is. If you," she says, now talking to Mufasa, "were as strong as you tell everyone, you wouldn't need to show it. But you do. That's just because you need everyone to know that you deserve to be King, that you'll be better than your brother. But I'm sure that he'd be ten times better than you will ever be. He's real. He's true."

Taka feels shy about the way Sarabi is standing up for himself right now. But she's wrong. He'll never be half the King Mufasa is going to be. He'll never be like his brother, but she can't seem to understand that Taka isn't meant to be King. His brother is. And that's the way things are.

"True?" Mufasa laughs. "I can be true, too."

"Prove it," Sarabi dares him.

"How?"

She rolls her eyes. "If you even cared, you'd know." She turns around at Taka. "Let's go. I don't know about you, but hanging out with echos like them doesn't suit me." She doesn't even wait for him to nod; she's gone.

Taka gets up on his paws, and follows her, but he hasn't been quick enough for him not to see the way Mufasa was looking at him. Taka knows that he'll pay for that later. And it's not going to be pretty.

"Why did you do that?" Taka asks Sarabi when he catches up with her.

She's run down Pride Rock, in such an anger that he had had trouble catching up with her. He's out of breath when she finally slows down and stops. Her eyes are flashing with anger, anger that Taka doesn't understand. Mufasa and his friends insulted him, not her. Why does it look like they've hurt her? If they ever do, Taka promises himself, I'll make them pay.

"How can you stand that?" she says, not answering his question. "How can you let them mock you like that? And not do anything?"

Taka shrugs. She wouldn't understand even if he tried to explain.

"You have to do something about that. Talk to your mother or your father. I'm sure that Ahadi wouldn't let him do this," Sarabi continues.

"I told Mother," Taka says. "She said that she'd talk to Mufasa, but I think that Father got in the way. As always."

Sarabi sighs. "I hope that he'll ... change."

"Me too."

But if Mufasa does change, if he becomes someone that Sarabi might like, it means that Taka will lose her, and he can't stand that thought.

* * *

_**Kate**: I love your enthusiasm. I hope that you liked that chapter._

_**csinumberstlk** **lover**: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you like that!_

_Like I said for my other story, I'll try to update once a week. I can't wait to hear what you thought about this chapter! Thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry I didn't update earlier! Anyway, I hope you'll like it!**

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The next day, it occurs to Taka that Mufasa's behavior towards him has changed―mostly when he's with Sarabi. His presence has almost become bearable.

"What's with him?" Taka complains to Sarabi as they watch Mufasa with his friends. He hasn't changed a bit around them, though. Only when he crosses Sarabi's glance.

"What do you mean?" Sarabi asks.

"Don't you think he's acting differently around me―around you?"

Sarabi cocks her head on the side, thinking for a second, then she shakes her head, her tail following the movement of her head. "No," she says. "Maybe he thought of yesterday and finally realized that I was right." This is meant to be a joke, but Taka doesn't even crack a smile. He hates the fact that Sarabi doesn't even notice the change! If she only saw it, maybe she wouldn't fall for his big brother's game. Because it is obviously a game to him. He just wishes that she admires him just like every other cub living in the Pride Lands. He just wants them on his side, and not on Taka's. Well, at least, that's what Taka thinks, and he's convinced that it is the truth.

"Maybe" is Taka's only answer to Sarabi. She immediately knows that something is bugging him, but she doesn't ask for details, knowing he won't give her any, knowing that he just won't open up to her if she asks him to. She just needs to let him do it on his own and not pressure him into doing anything.

That's when Mufasa decides to walk up to him. He pretends he hasn't acknowledged Sarabi's presence, but Taka just knows that he has, and that he's doing this because she's right here, otherwise he wouldn't have.

"Taka," he says. "Father wants to show me the Kingdom another time, and I thought ... Maybe you want to come with us."

At first, Taka wants to say no. He doesn't want his brother's pity, and he certainly doesn't want to agree in front of Sarabi. But Mufasa knows his brother more than Taka thought. He knows that his little brother has always wanted to have the opportunity of going through the Kingdom with their father, Ahadi. Besides, their father doesn't really take care of Taka, and this is a golden opportunity for him to show his father that he's worth something. He might not be King, but he's worth something. And he's been waiting for an opportunity like that to prove it to his father. Maybe this will be his only shot, but ... at the same time, he doesn't want to have it because of his older brother. Taka wishes he could have taken it himself, that everything could have been because of him.

"Does he even know that I'll be there?" Taka snaps.

Sarabi gives him a look as to tell him to say yes and not be bitter. But Taka can't help it. Maybe he's just born bitter.

When Mufasa shakes his head, Taka understands that it has nothing to do with really wanting to give his sibling a hand. Mufasa just wanted to show Sarabi that he could be true, too, that he could be thoughtful. But this was just a random plan he came up with. He's probably just thought of it while he was walking to them. This thought makes Taka angry. And when he gets up, his eyes flashing with anger, he growls, "I don't need your pity nor your help to get Father's attention."

That's when Mufasa loses the mask he's been putting on. "Father will _never _acknowledge your existence. I'm only trying to help you, and you're the one pushing me away. You know what? Fine. Deal with your trouble yourself." And with that, he walks away.

Taka doesn't even mind, he only feels like running and jumping on his brother's back to lacerate his back. And maybe then, Mufasa would know what it feels like to always be hurting. But instead of doing this, he just swallows back his anger and resentment. It's not the time to use it. There will be some other time, and then, he'll be ready.

He looks back at Sarabi who's frowning. "I ... I have to go," he tells her before storming out. She doesn't try to chase him down because it would be useless to even try to reason with him when he's feeling that way.

Instead of running to his mother, Taka decides to go see the hyenas. He's grabbed something for them, it's not much, but it will be enough for them. He doesn't even pay attention to his surroundings, because truly, no one pays attention to him, and because of the color of his fur, it's easier for him to hide in the shadow so that no one sees him.

When he arrives, the three hyenas are waiting for him. They told him their names earlier; Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Shenzi seems to be the smartest one while Ed seems to be the dumb one, but Taka all likes them equally. They're his only friends―apart from Sarabi.

"Hey buddy! Did you bring us something?" Banzai immediately wonders.

Taka cracks a smile and shows them what he's brought for them. They all jump on it, and it doesn't even take them a minute before the whole thing is gone, in their stomachs, and they now have this satisfied smile on their faces.

"What's up with you?" Shenzi asks.

Taka doesn't speak for a moment, but he finally decides to confide in them. He still hasn't told them that he's Mufasa's brother, and he doesn't know whether or not he should mention it. Maybe not today. Maybe some other day.

"Just my brother," he answers, trying not to give too much details. "He was born a minute before me, and he already thinks he rules the world."

"Brother drama," Shenzi says. "I get it. Tell us all about it."

Taka pauses for a second, but he ends up telling them everything. Once he's done, he still hasn't revealed Mufasa's identity―and surprisingly, the hyenas hasn't asked for it.

The smile on Shenzi's face is a little creepy, but it doesn't bother Taka. "So, it seems that you hate lions, too," she says.

"Too? What did they do to you?"

"Kill our mother. That's what they did," Shenzi snaps. "Not only out mother, but a lot of hyenas."

Taka stops moving for a second, and then he thinks of a plan. They hate lions, they killed their mother and maybe their friends or families. He kind of hates them, too. They don't respect him, treat him like he's some kind of piece of meat that's been abandoned for more than three months, and they don't even acknowledge that if Mufasa was to die, he would be the one ending up being King.

That's it, he thinks. If Mufasa dies, I will be King. And the other lions will have to respect me, they'll have to show me some respect, to acknowledge my presence, my status, everything.

And that's how it all started.

* * *

**Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. It means a lot to me! **

**Special thank you to those of you who have reviewed:  
**

**_MapleDaisy_: Thank you for the review, I hope you enjoyed the chapter even if Mufasa and Sarabi haven't really intereacted. They will, soon, I promise.  
**

**_BLACK CAT_: Hahaha, I love your enthusiasm about Taka and Sarabi. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I'm so glad you like it!  
**

**_csinumberstlk lover_: Thank you for the review! It always brings a smile to my face to see that you have reviewed! **

**_Kate: _Hi! Thanks for the review, and yes that was kind of the point of Sarabi being a really good friend to Taka. Hope you liked that chapter!  
**

**_chaos in the sky_: Thanks a lot for reviewing! **


	5. Chapter 4

**I didn't want to start another chapter by apologizing, but I think I might ... I'll try to update more often from now on, but I can't promise anything because I need to study for exams (you know it is), but I'll be able to write A LOT in about 2 weeks! Hope you'll like this chapter!**

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"What's with the sparkle in your eyes?" Sarabi asks Taka when she sees him next. There's something different about him. Something that she's never seen before in him. It seems that he's shining from the inside, that he's decided to turn his world upside down, that he's chosen to finally do something with himself, instead of always bending the knee in front of the King—of the future King.

"What are you talking about?" Taka replies.

He doesn't look away, and he cocks his head to the side, his ears moving back and forth, as to really understand what Sarabi is asking him, as to pretend that he doesn't understand what this is all about.

"You look different," she explains.

He waves the subject away with his tail, and Sarabi understands that he doesn't want to talk about it. So, there is something going on, but she won't get to know what. It's not that it bothers her because she knows that Taka has always had his secrets, but it kind of upsets her because she thought he'd share anything with her.

But she doesn't show her disappointment nor her anger. She cracks a smile and playfully jumps on his back. He tosses her to the side, and she falls on her back, four paws in the air. They both laugh, looking at each other.

"Hey, Sarabi," a familiar voice shouts.

Her head shoots straight up while Taka looks over his shoulder, already knowing what's coming next. "Hi, brother," Mufasa says while sitting down next to them.

For once, he's alone, without all his fan club tagging along. That doesn't make him less important. In fact, he almost seems royal. Almost. The way he looks at his younger brother, it's as if he's waiting for him to look down, to submit to him. But to Sarabi's astonishment, Taka doesn't. He even gets up on his paws and walks straight to his brother's face.

"Leave Sarabi alone," he hisses.

Mufasa laughs dryly. "What makes you think she wants to be left alone?"

Taka frowns for a moment, and he looks back at Sarabi, wondering if she really does. Maybe he's wrong. Maybe she _is _interested in his brother. Everyone would. Being with Mufasa means becoming Queen. Who wouldn't want that? Taka hoped that Sarabi wasn't like that, but maybe she is. Maybe she's just like every other lionesses in this Kingdom, looking for more power.

But Sarabi's not like everyone else, and she's proven it more than one time. She gets up on her paws, too, and she comes beside Taka, looking at him with concern in her eyes. She's never seen him act like that, and it worries her. She doesn't want him to get in any trouble, and if Ahadi sees them like this, challenging each other, Taka will pay the price for that mistake, not Mufasa, no matter if he's the one who provoke his brother.

"He's right," she tells Mufasa. "I don't want to be your friend. I am Taka's friend, and since you two can't get along with each other, I think I need to choose." She takes her eyes off Taka to look at Mufasa who seems dumfounded. "The choice is easy. I don't want to be with you," she says to Mufasa. "I don't want to be your friend."

With that, she turns around, her tail moving behind her as to express how annoyed she is. Taka should be proud or should at least be content that he's won something over his brother, but somehow, he isn't. Sarabi is a loyal friend. She's never done him wrong. She wouldn't have today, either.

"Taka, are you coming, or what?" Sarabi growls.

He turns around and see that she's waiting patiently for him, but is getting impatient. He nods at her before turning to face his brother again.

"It's not over," Mufasa says.

"Is that a challenge?" Taka asks.

"Can't be," Mufasa replies. "You have no chance of winning."

With that, he heads toward some of his friends that have been waiting for him for a moment. Taka looks at him leave, powerless to do anything against him. Mufasa is right. Taka has no chance of winning. Mufasa has inherited all the strength lions are supposed to have. He'll be strong when he'll grow up, maybe even more than their father. But one thing Mufasa doesn't have is the brain. Not that he doesn't have one, but he doesn't have all the intelligence that Taka has. If there is a way to beat Mufasa at his own game, Taka is going to have to figure that out by himself. He can't tell Sarabi that he's planning on going to war against his brother. It wouldn't make any sense for the both of them. For the sake of the Kingdom, things should stay the way they are; Taka should keep ignoring Mufasa. The Pride Lands doesn't need a war between two cubs, especially not between two heirs.

Taka catches up with Sarabi. "What did he tell you?" she wonders.

"I think he wants you," Taka says simply.

Sarabi laughs. "Isn't he already supposed to wed that lioness?" She didn't remember her name, but she overheard Uru, Taka's mother, and another lioness' mom talking about marrying their cubs. It doesn't truly matter that he doesn't love her, but Taka knows that he'll come to care about her, and that he's not going to want Sarabi when that happens. But until then ... Taka doesn't know, nor does Sarabi.

Taka shrugs. "I don't know. It's not decided yet." He pauses. "They were hesitating between two cubs, but I haven't figured out who, yet."

Sarabi sighs. She doesn't really like this whole idea of marrying someone your parents have chosen for you, but it's important because Mufasa will be King. He can't go fool around with an Outlander or with someone else, for the matter. He needs to stay focus.

"Taka," Uru calls.

Her son's head turns around. She comes next to him and Sarabi, and something about her immediately suggests that she has some news to break. Taka notices that Mufasa is right behind her. It could have been a family reunion, but Ahadi is nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, Sarabi. I'm glad that you're here. I wanted to speak with you," Uru says. She sits in front of them, and so does Mufasa. His whole mean attitude is gone, and now he's just back to being sweet Mufasa that Uru cannot resist.

"About what?" Sarabi wonders. She's never truly interacted with the Queen before.

"Your parents and I have decided something," Uru says. She turns her head to Mufasa who's looking straight into Sarabi's eyes which makes her uncomfortable, along with Taka who wishes Mufasa could find another target.

"And what is that?" Sarabi's voice is very calm. She doesn't fear anything. Her parents would never choose something for her that they think she wouldn't want. They have always been careful about that, and they want her to live the life she wants to. Therefore, Sarabi isn't worried.

But when Mufasa looks up to speak, she feels like she's been betrayed.

"You will be my Queen."

* * *

chaos in the sky: Thank you for the review! I'll try not to have you waiting for too long next time!

kate: I hope they do, too! I've always had a soft spot for them, haha. Thank you for reviewing!

BLACK CAT: Oh, you are very welcome! Thank YOU for reviewing and reading! Means a lot, too. Hahaha, I can't promise that Sarabi won't fall for Mufasa, but ... you shall see if she will or if she won't. One thing I can say .. Taka won't stay still. He's not going to look at her fall for her brother (that is if she does), I can promise you that.

jtechwriter: Thank you! I know! I mean, if he turns out to be a good guy in the movie, maybe it's because he learns from some bad mistakes in his life, and I don't think that Scar/Taka has always been bitter or mean to him. I needed to find a reason; I needed to understand myself so ... you know :) I hope you liked that chapter !


	6. Chapter 5

Sarabi has never been this angry in her whole life. She was willing to stand up against Mufasa. She was willing to do it for Taka, but now. She can't believe that her parents haven't discussed that matter with her before making this huge decision.

When Mufasa broke the news to her the other day, she just found the courage to run away. Taka came to talk to her later, and he said that he would try to convince his mother to change his mind, but they both knew that nothing would. Sarabi was doomed. She didn't have the choice. She would be Mufasa's Queen. It was an offer that she couldn't refuse. No one before her had, and she didn't think that her parents would be really pleased with her if she did such thing. Therefore, she couldn't fight him back.

They'd be married, but that would be it. She'd be his Queen, but that would be it. Nothing else.

"Sarabi," her mother calls.

She doesn't answer even though her father starts calling her, too. They can both go a week without a piece of meat, for all she cares.

"Sarabi," her mother says again. "I know that you're upset, but please, your father and I would like to have a word."

"To talk about what?" she shouts back. "To talk about how you just ruined my life? To discuss the way you made that decision without even telling me? I'm sorry, Mother, but I don't want to talk to you, nor do I want to speak with Father."

When she was very upset, she would call her parents "Mother" and "Father" instead of "Mom" and "Dad."

At that precise moment, Taka shows up. "Hi," he says. Sarabi hears him talking to her parents, but he's whispering, and she can't understand everything. "Sarabi," he calls, too.

"Leave me alone," she groans.

But he's not going to. "Sarabi," he says. "Come with me. Please. Let's go to the waterhole, it'll be good for you to get out."

The waterhole. They have so many memories there together. All the times that Mufasa rejected Taka, that's where they went. That's where Taka would just ramble about being Mufasa's brother. That's where Sarabi would listen to him. That's where they became friends, and eventually more than just boring friends.

She finally decides that Taka's right. She's always been there for him even if he didn't ask, and now it's his turn, and she's very much aware of that. He wants to show her that he'll always be there.

When she sees Taka, both her parents are next to him, but she doesn't even glance at them. She doesn't look down either, but up. _She'll make a great Queen, _Taka thinks with a little sadness because she'll never be _his _Queen, and she'll never be _his, _now that his brother has claimed her.

Once they're out, Sarabi feels free. She feels a bit better than before, trapped in there with her parents.

"How are you doing?" Taka asks.

She gives him a sad smile. "I've been better."

He rubs his head against hers, fondly. "I'm sorry," he tells her.

"Why would you be sorry? It's not your fault."

"It might as well have," Taka says. "I ... He chose you just to get back at me."

"It doesn't matter," Sarabi says. "I know that's why he did it." She pauses for a minute, and then she feels this huge wave of anger that she's been trying to keep under her control explode. "I don't even understand why my parents agreed! I don't want to be his Queen, Taka. I don't want to be around him all the time, and have to carry his heirs. Why couldn't he pick someone else? Sarafina! She would have been perfect, right? Her fur's lighter than me. She has those gorgeous blue eyes. I mean, why wouldn't he want her?" She goes on and on about Sarafina. She's a friend of Sarabi, so nothing is meant to harm her. It's just meant to tell the whole world how none of this makes sense. Sarabi shouldn't have been the chosen one. Sarafina should have. They're both about the same age, and Sarafina has been way more nice towards Mufasa than Sarabi has ever been. Maybe that's why she got picked. Because he sees her as a challenge. But Sarabi doesn't want to be someone's challenge.

Taka interrupts her after a while, "I have been thinking about it, too, and I don't see any way out. He could change his mind, but I don't think that he will. If you are anymore disrespectful to him, he'll just want you more. And if you try to act like you suddenly care, he's not going to buy it. I don't ... I don't know what we can do." There is only one idea in the back of his mind, but he will not say it out loud. If he did, he's scared that if he does, Sarabi will never look at him the same. She might even despise him for having this idea in the first place. No, definitely, he can't tell her that. And besides, he doesn't even know himself if he'd be willing to truly do it. Would he do such thing just to keep Sarabi? But it's not _just _to keep her. It's so much bigger than that. It's more than just having Sarabi. It's bigger than her. And yet, he can't tell what this whole deal is about.

"Maybe you can try to talk your parents out of it," Sarabi suggests.

"Maybe you can try to talk your parents out of it, too," Taka replies.

Sarabi sighs. "They won't listen."

"Have you tried?"

Sarabi shakes her head. "No. They have never done such thing before. If they did now ... I am not sure they'll listen to me."

"Where did your fighter spirit go?" Taka asks her. "Get on your paws, and go tell them that this isn't what you want."

Sarabi looks up at him, and she slides her head under Taka's muzzle. She needs comfort, and somehow, he's the only one who can bring that to her. "Will you come with me?" she demands.

He fondly licks the top of her head. "Yeah. Do you want to go now?"

"In a minute," she says. She takes a step back from Taka, and she lies down on the ground, inviting him to do the same. The sun warms up their bodies, and comfort them a bit.

After a while, Sarabi gets up on her paws and Taka does the same. She's ready, he can tell. Hopefully, Sarabi's parents will listen to her. Hopefully, they'll agree with her decision. Hopefully, she'll be free from Mufasa by the end of the day. Hopefully.

* * *

**TheTrueJuliet**: Yeah, the idea of arranged marriage pop up in my head, and I figured I could use it! Yeah, I know. It's sad, and Taka DOES deserve all the love in the world. Thanks for the review!

**Kate**: Oh, I hope that she'll find a way to turn Mufasa down, but it's not easy. I hope you liked that chapter, and thank you for reviewing!

**Emerald dreamer96**: Hahaha, I know, right? I don't think Taka was evil. Evil is not born, it is made, and I think that I wanted to explain that, in a way. Anyway! I don't want to ramble because that would be boring for you to read. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter!


	7. Chapter 6

It didn't go quite the way Sarabi wanted. Her parents didn't want to listen to her. She had to tell Taka to go because the roars were too loud, and it upset her and embarrassed her at the same time.

"It's tradition," her parents kept telling her.

Like she cares about tradition. It's time for a new tradition, she believes. It's time for that kind of wedding to be completely gone.

Sarabi took a few hours to calm herself down. There is nothing to do. She can't go against her parents' will.

"Get to know him," her parents said. "He's not all bad."

Thing was that he is. He is all bad. That's at least what Sarabi believes.

When she meets back with Taka, he can immediately tell just by looking at her that it didn't go well.

"What happened?" he asks.

She just looks away and her tail hits the ground angrily. "They didn't want to listen" is all she says. Taka doesn't know what he can possibly do to make Sarabi feel better. She really thought that her parents would listen and agree that she didn't have to marry someone she despises. But they didn't agree with her. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

They just lie down there, until they're called by their parents. Taka is quite surprised, though, because his parents barely bother about him. He tells Sarabi good night even though he'll see her later and he climbs to the top of Pride Rocks where his father is waiting for him. Beside him is Mufasa who seems weird. He's looking down and it feels that he's just been reprimanded. Taka wonders what for because Mufasa _never _gets told off by their father.

"Taka," Ahadi calls. "Come here."

Doing as he's been told, Taka takes place beside his father. His mother is nowhere to be seen. She's probably hunting or doing something else with other lionesses.

"Mufasa here has been telling me that your friend, Sarabi, isn't quite pleased by the idea of being married to him," Ahadi begins. Not exactly understanding where this talk is going, Taka looks up at his father. "Does she know that it'll make her Queen? Does she know what an honour that is?"

Taka nods his head. "Yes, she does."

"Then what is it, son?"

Taka's breath is taken away at that precise moment. _Son. _His father just called him _son. _That's usually Ahadi's way of calling Mufasa. What has gotten into him, Taka wonders. Did his older brother do something so bad?

But can he "betray" Sarabi by telling his father that his friend doesn't want to be married to his big brother because she doesn't like him, and probably never will? His father would say that she'll learn to like him, just like Uru, their mother, has learned to like him.

No, he definitely can't say this.

"Taka?" Ahadi insists.

The second son looks away, feeling both Mufasa and Ahadi's eyes on him. He would be lying if he said it didn't intimate him. But it feels so good to be noticed, to be asked questions, to be cared for.

"She doesn't like to be told what to do," Taka says instead.

Ahadi lets out a dry laugh. "Is that it?" Taka nods his head yes. Ahadi ruffles Mufasa's mane-to-be and says, "Then it's perfect. When she'll be Queen, she'll have no one to tell her what to do, but herself. She'll be the one giving orders."

With that, Ahadi walks away. Mufasa, on the other hand, stays with his brother. "Taka," he whispers. "Is that really the only reason why she doesn't want this marriage?"

Taka looks back at his older brother. To him, he can say the truth. Just to make him understand that not everyone will like him, that not everyone is amused by his nastiness.

"Of course not, Mufasa," Taka answers. "She despises you."

With that, he walks away without being held back by his brother for more questions.

Days went by and things have changed a bit. Sarabi doesn't talk as much. It's like she's lost that sparkle of life that made her alive when she learned that she was meant to be married with the future King. Ahadi acts like nothing's wrong and that everything's perfect. And Mufasa's behaviour changed, too. Sometimes, Sarabi catches him looking at her with something else than spite in his eyes, and it makes her wonder if maybe she can save him, if maybe she can teach him how to be loved.

One night, Taka is pretending to be asleep. At least, he's trying to fall asleep. Everyone else is sleeping except Uru and Mufasa who are whispering.

Taka manages to understand most of the conversation.

"Mother," Mufasa says.

"What is bothering you, Mufasa?" Uru asks.

"This whole wedding thing," he admits. "Taka said that Sarabi doesn't like me, and that she doesn't want to be married to me." He sighs. "Mother, can I really force her to be my Queen if that's not what she wishes?"

"Oh," Uru says. "That's what it's all about." She licks the top of Mufasa's head, fondly. "I didn't want to be your father's Queen either. But you have such a big heart. She will learn to love you, you'll see."

It sounded like a promise.

And that's exactly what Taka feared. What if Sarabi learned to love his brother? He can't lose her. He can't bear the thought of her with his brother. Taka can't think about that. He doesn't want to. He didn't have much to worry about before because his brother was acting like the biggest idiot on earth, but now that he's been talked some sense into, he actually changed. It's not a big one, but it's a chance, and knowing Sarabi, Taka just has this feeling that she'll try to make Mufasa a better lion.

Because that's what Sarabi does. She makes everyone better. When he's with her, Taka is the best version of himself. She makes all of that happen. So, he can't lose her. And he won't. He's not going to let _anyone _take her away from him.

The next day, Taka doesn't wait for Mufasa before wandering within the Pride Lands. It's been quite a while that he hasn't visited the three hyenas. It would be about time he pays them another visit. Maybe they'll have an idea.

* * *

chaos in the sky: Oh, why, thank you!

Kate: I don't know if they are aware of the fact that they love each other, though. But that could be an idea. Interesting. I'll try working on that for the next chapter!

Guest: Whoever you are, thank you for reviewing! And that is a pretty good idea, actually! I'll think about it ! :)


	8. Chapter 7

**First of all, I want to start by apologizing. I know it's been so long and I have been quite busy, but still that excuse really sucks. **

**Now that school is over and that my summer has started, I will have more time to write and hopefully there will be an update about every week. I'm not promising anything, though, but I won't leave you hanging for so long, I promise ! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"I want him gone." That's what Taka's been saying all over again to his three friends that have been listening to his whole story.

For Ed, this is just too complicated. But Shenzi, oh smart Shenzi, has a plan developing in her mind. She despises lions, too, well Taka being the only exception. If Mufasa _was _gone, it would mean that the crown would be Taka's. And since they're friends... it would mean that they'd be royal, too, wouldn't it?

"Taka," Shenzi says, "I think that I have an idea."

Taka turns to her, his eyes full of hope. He is usually filled with brilliant ideas, but this time, he can't see anything that could fix his problem.

"Tell me," he demands.

She grins, snickering before exposing her plan. "We make him look bad by making _you _look good."

Taka sits down next to her, his head cocked to the side, thinking. "How?"

"We're hyenas. Lions hate us. Let's just show up on your lands and you'll have us gone."

This could work, Taka thinks. It will catch his father's attention. Everyone will finally realize that he's not as useless as they think that he is.

"But... how is it going to make Mufasa look bad?"

"Because we'll target him," Shenzi explains evilly. "We'll go after him and you'll hunt us down."

"Yes," Taka agrees, "but that's not going to make me King."

"No, but that's one step closer," Shenzi says. "And who knows, maybe your Father will be so pleased and proud of you that he'll be willing to agree if you asked for a favour."

A favour. That's it. All that Taka has to do is to "save" his brother from the mean hyenas. He needs witnesses, a lot or not, that doesn't matter, someone has to see. And then, maybe Ahadi will acknowledge his second-born son's power. Yes, a favour. That's all Taka needs from his father. A favour. The "okay" to take Mufasa's bride-to-be. That's not going to be easy, but ... if Taka hadn't been there, Mufasa would be dead. That's what he'll tell his father.

Taka's teeth suddenly show as he smirks. "You're a genius."

"Learned from the best," Shenzi teases.

"When do we start?"

"Tomorrow. I'll need some time to make sure those two idiots don't screw up."

Taka nods his head as he gets up on his paws, feeling slightly better about this whole wedding thing. He's going to have great news to bring to Sarabi once his father agrees to the deal. She'll be thrilled.

Right?

And they don't _have _to get married straight away. They're just cubs. But it'll give Sarabi the freedom that she wants. And it'll free her from her wedding with Taka's older brother. She'll just have to be pleased.

Right?

"Be ready," Shenzi warns him before he leaves. "Tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Mufasa has decided to go and talk to Sarabi. Maybe he can prove her that he's not just a complete spoiled cub. Maybe he can prove her that she will be happy with him. Maybe he can show her that he can change, that _she's _going to make him change for the best.

He doesn't really know his younger brother's friend, but from what he's seen, he just knows that she won't be able to walk away from changing someone into good, into what she believes is good. She'll just feel compelled to help him, to show him the way. And while she does that, he'll make her fall for him. After that, it'll be a piece of cake. She'll just _want _to get married, even be eager to be Queen, _his _Queen.

Mufasa just needs to prove her that he's willing to be who she wants him to be.

He paces in front of the waterhole, wondering if this is truly a good idea. What if she just ends up despising him more? What if she never agrees to help him? What if he's wrong about her and she has no intention whatsoever to be around him?

Not once does he think of his brother and of his friendship with his bride-to-be. Not once does he think that maybe him trying to spend too much time with Sarabi will hurt Taka's feelings. Not once does he think that _maybe _Sarabi doesn't belong with him but with his younger brother.

Not once does he think of his brother... at least, not for the right reasons.

It's time, he thinks. He has to do it now. Mufasa just hopes that Sarabi is around, that she's not gone somewhere with his brother to do some useless things while they could at least try to act like grown-ups. Mufasa knows that he has to hurry. He doesn't have much time left before his father takes him somewhere in the Kingdom to teach him how to be a good King, or to show him around even though Mufasa knows the whole Kingdom so well he could be blind and still be able to avoid every rock on the way.

"Sarabi?" he calls as he walks to her usual spot.

She doesn't really hang out with the other cubs from the Pride Lands, only Taka.

A movement catches his attention. It's a tail moving left and right.

"Sarabi?" he calls again.

He hears her roaring softly as her head snaps up. She stares at him for a second and he feels like she'd be willing to rip him to shreds right here and right now.

"What do you want?" she groans, looking away and back at the plains in front of her. They're infinite, and she often wonders what is beyond the boundaries of the Pride Lands.

She and Taka should go explore one day. That'd be fun.

Mufasa comes by and sits next to her, making sure to maintain a certain distance between them. He wants to get close to her, not scare her away.

"I just wanted to know why you didn't want to be Queen," he demands quietly. He already knows the answer, but he wants to hear it straight from her mouth.

Sarabi rolls her eyes, a little amused. "I never said that I didn't want to be Queen," she replies.

"Then what _did _you say?"

"I said that I didn't want to be _your _Queen," she tells him as their eyes lock.

Mufasa feels taken aback by the hatred that he thinks he sees in her eyes. It's really hopeless. She really does despise me, he thinks sadly.

"Why?" he asks slowly. "Why did I ever do to you?"

Sarabi jumps on her paws, her eyes burning with anger. "It's not what you did to me. It's what you do to everyone else. It's how you make your own brother feel. It's how you treat the other cubs that disgusts me!"

Mufasa cocks his head to the side as the words sink in.

And then, he understands. She doesn't hate him. She hates his _attitude. _If he can prove her that he can change, that he _will _change, maybe she'd be willing to reconsider their marriage proposal.

"I can change," he declares, getting up on his paws, too, facing her. "And I will if that's what it takes for you to agree to be my Queen."

A sparkle of surprises goes through Sarabi's eyes, but it quickly vanishes to be replaced by anger.

"Unlike everyone else, I won't believe that until I see it."

"Then, you will, my Queen-to-be," Mufasa promises her.

Sarabi stares at him for a while, wondering if this is a good idea. She doesn't want him to change. If he does, the boundaries that she set for herself will not be so clear anymore. And what about Taka? What about Taka, she wonders. If she agrees, he'll never forgive her.

She can't be Mufasa's Queen. For the sake of everyone.

But if Mufasa is willing to change, it would be stupid to turn him down. Maybe she can just lead him on for a while until he truly changes and until there's no coming back to the way he was before.

Yes, that sounds like something acceptable.

That's her plan when she says, "I'll be waiting to see the progress." She bows out of disregard before running away.

Mufasa's eyes never look away from her until she's out of his sight. Then, he hears his father call him and he runs back to him, feeling better about this whole thing. He will get Sarabi to like him.

What none of them noticed is a silhouette hidden in the shadows. This someone heard everything.

* * *

**Emerald dreamer96**: Well no one's really a monster, you know. I hope that you have liked that chapter! And I wouldn't exactly put the blame on Uru or Ahadi. That's the only way they know.

**kate**: thanks for the comment! I sure hope it goes well for them, too!

**Anonymousgirl**: errr... if that happens, I'll think of you and I will.

**Roslind**: there you go! hope it didn't disappoint!


	9. Chapter 8

Taka hasn't been able to find the peace all night long. Not even in his sleep. Heck, he hasn't even slept. He should have, though, since he's supposed to rescue his older brother today, in a few hours. He hasn't even established a strategy or anything. He was way too angry to even think about it.

He hasn't talked to Sarabi since he heard her conversation with Mufasa. Taka's brother has definitely figured his friend out. She'll never walk away if he changes _for _her. She'll never be able to walk away from this. No matter what Mufasa did to Taka, no matter what he did to everyone else. She won't be able to turn him down if he keeps his word.

Honestly, Taka doubts it. He doesn't think that his brother will be able to be the one that Sarabi wants him to be. He doesn't think that Mufasa will be able to be the one he vowed to be. That's too much change for one in that time.

But there's still this little voice in the back of his head that keeps telling him that _maybe _Mufasa could manage. And what if he does?

What if he does succeed?

The fateful day, Taka is up before everyone. He's even awake before Ahadi, his father. Well, that's easy since he didn't sleep last night. Even though he didn't rest, he feels stronger and more alerted than he's ever been.

This is going to be easy. He'll make it right, and things will go back to the way they were supposed to be. Taka doesn't know when Shenzi, Bonzai and Ed will attack. Shenzi didn't say. She just told him to be prepared. That means that he'll most likely have to follow Mufasa around like a little lost puppy.

Or ...

Maybe he can suggest that they bond together. He can tell him that he can help him become the better version of himself for Sarabi. He doesn't know whether Mufasa will buy that, but he might as well will.

If Mufasa got the strength of the lion, Taka definitely got the spirit.

Waiting for his brother to wake up felt like forever. Or maybe it was because Taka felt more and more eager every single second to see his plan set in motion.

Once Mufasa is up on his paws, Taka walks to him before any of Mufasa's friend can get ahead of him. It's brothers' day today.

"Mufasa," Taka calls.

His brother turns his golden head to him, yawning. "Yeah?"

"Do ... Do you want to play with me? Show me the Kingdom? Talk about this bride of yours?"

Mufasa's eyes immediately lighten up when Taka mentions the word "bride." It takes everything in Taka not to cringe or to move. He can't make Mufasa suspicious about the way he feels about Sarabi. That would be wrong to do so.

"Of course," Mufasa accepts immediately.

Not once does he look at one of his friends to mock his little brother. Not once does he suggest that someone else comes with them. He even seems eager to spend some time with Taka.

If that could have had Taka's heart melt in a second, his heart remained unmoved. He had accepted that his brother would never treat him the way he did with everyone else. He might as well make the best out of it. That's what he intended to do, whatsoever.

Subtly, Taka leads them to the water hole. He doesn't know where the hyenas will attack, but he's assuming that it'll happen close to the Pride Rock. The water hole isn't that close, but everyone can hear what's going on there. It shouldn't be too hard to get someone's attention while they'll be roaring to "save" their lives.

Mufasa still hasn't said a word when he leans down to drink. Taka still keeps an eye on him while doing the same. He won't be the first one to break the silence.

"So," Mufasa says, sitting down. He keeps a distance between he and his brother, but it still feels closer than he used to. "About Sarabi. What do you have to tell me?"

Taka shrugs and looks away for a while, trying to see if the hyenas are coming. He really doesn't want to talk about Sarabi with his brother. In fact, he'd rather not talk about her _at all. _She hasn't even tried to see him when he didn't show up at their usual spot yesterday. She didn't even try to see if he was okay. So maybe she doesn't care for him as much as she pretends to.

"What do you want to know?" Taka says reluctantly.

"Everything there is to know," Mufasa tells him. "You know, I spoke to her yesterday. I thought that she hated me, but she just hates my attitude. Maybe ..." He glances at his brother. "If I were more like you, maybe she'd like me more. You know, down-to-earth, and . . . just sympathetic, I guess." He pauses. "How do you do it, exactly? How can you manage not to get into a fight with the other cubs or even I when we make fun of you? I wouldn't stand it for a second."

Taka groans, "That's because you're the heir, Mufasa. _No one _will ever make fun of you."

Mufasa shakes his head, not believing that for a second. "You're the heir, too. You just won't be King."

Being the heir and not being King. That's not what Taka wants. That's like being forever the second. He doesn't want to always be a second choice. He should deserve better. And he does.

"Mufasa," Taka snaps. "I don't want to talk about this. You'll be King. I'm not going to be. And they're _your _friends. Just tell them to stop." When he doesn't get any answer, he adds, "I'm sure that Sarabi will like that if you stopped being such a tyrant."

His big brother's head snaps to the right as he eyes him carefully, "You think so?"

Taka nods his head. "Yes, I'm sure. She hasn't said much about you," he informs him. "But I think that it would make her happy."

Mufasa stays in silence for a moment and Taka doesn't do anything to break it. It's not like he really wants to speak to his brother anyway. It's more like he doesn't have the choice. Looking right, the wind blows on his face, bringing him the scent of multiple animals. Somehow, he's not even hungry even though he hasn't eaten yet. He'll eat after. Definitely after. Waiting for some sort of reaction from his brother, Taka starts licking his left paw to clean it up. Bringing it up to his left ear, he starts to rub it, itching the spot.

"Do you think she'll ever want to marry me?" Mufasa suddenly asks.

The question takes Taka by surprise. He wants to say no. He wants to _yell _that she can never want to marry him, that there's no way she'll ever want to, but he just keeps his mouth shut. After what he witnessed last night, she might as well _want _to be Mufasa's Queen.

"I don't know," Taka answers instead. "If you prove her that you can be a good King, just like Father, maybe she will."

Mufasa's about to answer when out of nowhere comes out three shadows. Taka hears them barking and he immediately recognizes them, but he can't say that he does.

He just pretends to be frozen, to be so scared that he cannot move while the three hyenas, obviously targeting Mufasa, run toward him, making their fangs chatter.

Taken by surprise, Mufasa just lets out a growl. He might pretend that he's quite the fighter, but honestly, he's never fought for real. It's always been just for fun. It's never been anything else.

The hyenas are getting closer and closer. Both of the cubs still haven't move. Taka's waiting for them to jump on his brother so he could legitimately save him. If no harm is done, it's not a real save.

All three of them, they jump on Mufasa. Taka recognized Ed, trying to bite his left paw while Shenzi is trying to get on his back and while Bonzai is aiming for the neck.

It takes Mufasa one second to react. Before Taka knows it, he's fallen on his back, hurting Shenzi while doing so. She lets out a shriek of pain and immediately backs off.

Glancing Taka's way, she seems to be oblivious to her pain and attacks again, biting the hollow of his knee. Mufasa groans, in pain as he tries to get a hold of Ed's neck to snatch him away. But they're quite small and rather agile. Plus, they're three.

That's when Taka decides that it's time for him to do something about it. He doesn't even hesitate. Not one single second, before jumping straight on Bonzai's back. He's careful not to hurt him, though, his claws aren't even out. He makes his teeth chatter right next to his neck, realistic enough to make Mufasa believe that he truly bit him.

Barking in fake pain, Bonzai just runs away. Ed and Shenzi look up, seeming worried by the runaway of their friend. Their attention is elsewhere and it's rather easy for Taka to "take them down". He starts with Ed who doesn't even bother putting up a fight. And then, it's with Shenzi. She's the only one left and even though she looks tough, Taka knows that she's hurt. Her right paw is bleeding and it looks rather painful.

But when Taka fake aims for her neck, she snaps her teeth in his shoulder, leaving a bite mark. Roaring with pain and surprise, his jaw closes on Shenzi's leg. She yelps and moves, trying to free her leg from the grasp of the lion. Noticing it, Taka opens his mouth to let her go.

Turning his head, he realizes that Mufasa is looking rather taken aback. Did he see that Taka _willingly _let Shenzi go? To try to ease any doubt his brother could have, Taka starts to run, chasing Shenzi.

Once they're far enough, Shenzi just looks over her shoulder and tells him, "Come by tomorrow," before fading away.

This time, Taka doesn't even try to catch up with her. Instead, he tries to catch his breath while heading back to where Mufasa is.

He still hasn't moved and he's bleeding. Ed, Shenzi and Bonzai haven't been ... very nice with him, to say it like that.

There are a couple of bites that will probably leave marks on Mufasa's skin. For one tiny little second, guilt overcomes Taka's mind as he wonders what the heck has gone through his mind. But when Mufasa flashes him a thankful smile, all the guilt fades.

Since Mufasa doesn't seem to be able to walk on his own, Taka helps him back on his paws and to walk back to the Pride Rock.

Too bad there were no other witnesses, but Mufasa is the only witness that Taka needed.

So when they're back, Ahadi and Uru rush to their side as soon as they smell the blood in the air. Both of them are out of their mind, wondering what got into the hyenas, why they didn't keep going, why they ran away.

When Mufasa is secured—Uru made sure that his injuries weren't that bad—Ahadi gathers everyone around him. The whole Pride seems to be worried about Mufasa. Even Sarabi's here, looking worried. She didn't come close to Taka who stayed next to his mother.

That's when Mufasa blurts out how much of an hero Taka has been, saving him, risking his own life chasing down the hyenas.

"How come you didn't beat them, Mufasa?" one of his friends ask, knowing how strong Mufasa pretends to be.

Mufasa shrugs. "They were three. They were everywhere. I didn't even have the time to think before they attacked me. I took one of them down, though. I think I broke her leg or something. It cracked. And I scared the other one, too." He pauses before glancing at his brother.

Will he lie? Taka wonders. That would be something his brother could do so he'd be the hero.

But Mufasa surprises Taka. He looks at Sarabi before saying, "But I wouldn't have made it if it hadn't been for Taka. He's been amazing." Eyeing his brother, he continues, "I didn't even know he had it in him, but you should have seen the way he aimed right for the hyenas, trying to bite them, even chasing them down."

For the first time, Sarabi turns her head to look at Taka. She looks surprised and horrified at the same time. To think she could have lost him in just a few seconds is making her sick. To think that he could be dead today makes her sick with _herself. _She hadn't even tried talking to him since last night. What if he had thought that she didn't want to be his friend anymore?

Some friends of Mufasa have hard time believing that Taka has been this courageous, but Taka has some proofs of his own, too. Shenzi bit him quite meanly on the shoulder. That's why she did it. So he'd be "scared" too and it would look like an accident.

When Mufasa's done telling, Ahadi turns to Taka with a wonderful smile. He licks the top of his second born son's head before saying, "Well-done, son."

Taka just smiles a little at his father. If he opens up his mouth, he might as well blurt out that he doesn't want Mufasa to take Sarabi away. And even though Ahadi might be really proud with Taka right now—he called him son!—Taka can't ask that of him. At least, not right now.

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22teamplayer: I could have made this go badly. But ... you'll see why I decided to make it work. And of course, it's not easy for him. Hence, he should at least have some things work for him. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed that chapter!

BLACK CAT: Wow, that's ... violent? I'll try thinking about you when I'll write that conclusion as to who will win Sarabi's heart. Sorry for the long wait. Hope the longer chapter kind of half make up for it!

**I'm not promising anything since that's definitely not working, but I'll try to have the chapters longer! I feel quite inspired these days. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoyed! **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello, hello. Sorry sorry ten thousand times sorry for the very very, immensely long wait. I was gone in vacation, but now I'm back. And hopefully for good. **

**So I hope that you will enjoy this chapter. **

**Thank you for reading.**

**Lots of love.**

* * *

The whole story dies down in about a week. Lions didn't forget about Taka rescuing his older brother, but a lot of them still find that odd. Mufasa was almost twice Taka's size. Why wouldn't he be able to defend himself? Why would he need Taka to do it for him?

How come Taka only got away with one single bite when Mufasa had several wounds?

There were a lot of details that didn't make sense in many cubs' heads. One of them thought it would be a nice and interesting game if they could invest.

It was just a game at the beginning.

But it became more than that when they started following Taka.

Taka is furious with everyone. He thought that saving his brother from a fake danger would change things. It didn't really change anything. Lions still treated him like he was nothing and he's done taking shit from everyone.

He's going to go see Shenzi. Perhaps she will have another idea.

Way too deep in his thoughts, Taka doesn't notice that three cubs are following him, hiding behind trees, rocks, in the shadow, even. It's just a game to them. They don't really think that they'll find something odd.

The most they expect to find is Taka sneaking out to hang out with Sarabi, to their secret place.

But Taka isn't headed there.

They realize that he's going to a forbidden place.

He's going to walk out of the Pride Lands.

The first cub speaks up, "Maybe he's lost."

The second shakes his head. "It's _Taka. _He's not lost. He knows where he's going."

The third says, "But it's forbidden to go there. It's the Outlands!"

The first adds, "And why would he be going there?"

They look at each other and nod, deciding that they will be following Taka to know what he's up to. Perhaps Mufasa will be so happy with them that he'll start treating them better than his closer clique. Maybe they'll get some kind of recognition on Ahadi's part.

Yes. There's definitely something up with Taka, and they will be the one to find out.

Taka, still unaware of being followed, doesn't rush. He does as he usually does. Just walks straight into the Outlands without looking back, pretending that he's allowed to go there. Once he's in there, he tries not to wander too much. He never knows what he can find here.

He rushes to where he left the hyenas, hoping that they'd be there, waiting for him.

They are.

Shenzi looks thrilled when she sees him. "Look at you," she says. "The warrior's back."

Taka shoots her a small smile and sits down next to her. Ed and Bonzai join them, looking rather curious.

"We did great, right?" Bonzai wonders.

Taka nods. "Yes, you were good."

Shenzi immediately knows that something's wrong. She's always been the most clever. "What happened?" she asks.

Taka glances at her. He'd better say it now. He doesn't know yet if he'll be able to come back anytime soon. "Didn't go as well as planned," he tells them.

"How come?" Shenzi groans. "The plan was genius."

Taka agrees. "It was, but . . . they just thought it was odd and they forgot about it. I'm back to being Ahadi's second-born, now," he bitterly mumbles.

Shenzi nudges him in the shoulder, not wanting him to dwell on this. She'll come up with something else, something better. Yes, that plan of attacking Mufasa and have Taka save him was one of her finest, but she can do better. And she will.

"Don't worry," she says. "I'll think of something."

Taka sighs. "But what if it's useless? What if I'm never going to be good enough to compete with him?"

Shenzi shoots Bonzai and Ed a look. Do something, she wants to yell at them.

"You're not useless," she says. "And you'd be a greater King than your brother."

"How can you know that?"

She smiles. "Do you think your brother would be as down-to-earth as you? From what you've been telling me, he barely hangs out with the cubs that aren't royalty or close to it. It's just the close clique and no one else. You, on the other hand, you don't mind getting your paws dirty. You don't mind dealing with the problem."

It is true that Mufasa likes to observe his kingdom from high . . . and afar.

But that doesn't mean that he won't be a great King.

Shenzi pushes her luck further, "Besides, they need to stop with the tradition thing. Let the second-born be King for once." Then, she has an idea to share. "Why don't you ask your father to have a little friendly competition with your brother and the winner gets the throne?"

Taka laughs for the first time in the day. Shenzi, she always has the weirdest ideas. "Shenzi," Taka says between two laughs. "That's not how it works."

"And who cares?"

Taka stops laughing. "My father, apparently."

That has been enough for the three cubs. They didn't need to stay any longer. They just rushed back to the Pride Lands, to report what they just heard.

As they make their way out, they remain unseen and unheard by Taka and the hyenas which is a miracle.

"What are we going to tell them?" the first cubs wonders as they all keep running.

"This is insane," the second one says. "He planned the attack?"

"I knew it," the third one states.

The two other don't comment and they just keep running back to the Pride Rock. Once they arrive, they immediately request to see Ahadi. It's a matter of life and death, they say. But Ahadi is occupied, dealing with an unknown matter and the three cubs must wait.

Uru walks by and asks if she can be any help.

The first cub is willing to tell her, but the third one makes him shut up. "We'll wait for Ahadi," he tells Uru.

The Queen smiles, nodding, thinking that they're just cubs playing and goofing around.

"Why did you do that?" the first cub says when Uru is out of sight. "She could've helped us."

"No," the third cub replies. "She's her mother. You saw her with him. She'll never believe us. But Ahadi . . . He'd believe anything we say . . . as long as it's about Taka and if it's bad."

Ahadi returns several minutes after. Seeing the cubs waiting, Uru tells him that they've been expecting him and they want to speak with him. Rather amused by the eager of the cubs, he decides to take them for a walk. He's the King, after all. He might as well teach the cubs something useful when they're just trying to play around and be around the King.

"Uru's been telling me that you wanted to talk to me," he says as they walk away from the Pride Rock.

"It's about Taka," the first cub says.

"What about him?" Ahadi's tone is suspicious. He's never dealt with those three cubs before, but when it comes to his own son, he fears the worst.

"We were just playing around," the second cubs tells the King, "when we saw Taka heading for the Outlands."

"Outlands?" Ahadi roars. "Are you sure?"

The three cubs nod.

Ahadi feels the anger rising in his body. He's forbidden his sons to go there. More than once. Is that boy never going to listen to what he's told? Ahadi wonders.

He's about to leave to find his second-born when the third cub stops him. "But that's not all."

Now, Ahadi is all ears.

"What else?" he demands.

The third cub glances sideways at the two others who nod. "We saw him with hyenas."

"Hyenas?"

Ahadi is now burning with anger. As if being in the Outlands wasn't bad enough, Taka also had to befriend hyenas.

At this precise moment, Ahadi is really glad that Taka wasn't born first. What kind of King would he be if he can't follow the rules? if he just walks around, doing what he wants when he wants, befriending the enemy?

At least, Mufasa would never have the nerve to do such thing.

Ahadi's about to take off without thanking the three cubs—he'll do that later—when he's stopped once again by the third cub.

"He planned the attack on Mufasa. The hyenas are his . . . allies. They all plan it together." The third cub adds something to make it more dramatic even though it's a lie, "I think they want to kill Mufasa."

Ahadi has heard enough. He will not let any of his son become a murder. And he will not let any of his son humiliate him that way.

The run to the Outlands is short. But Ahadi doesn't have to run all that way because on his way, he meets Taka who's coming back home.

"Father," Taka says when he sees him coming.

Looking at him, Ahadi just explodes. His eyes blaze with anger and he doesn't even know what he's doing anymore. He thinks about the way that he congratulated his younger son for being so courageous when his older brother was being attacked. He thinks about the way that Taka was so happy to hear that, thinks about the way that Taka has been acting strangely lately, thinks about the way that Mufasa's story made no sense, and thinks about the way that Taka has been lying about this. Ahadi just knows. He can smell the fear of his son and that's enough of a proof for him.

If he's been lying about this, what else has he been lying about?

What else will he be lying about?

What other kind of sickening plan will he come up with to get someone hurt?

"Have you been planning to hurt your brother?" Ahadi roars at him.

Taka freezes and his eyes go wide. How can his father know about this?

The hesitation to answer is fatal to him.

If he didn't know for sure before, now he did know. Taka was guilty.

Ahadi doesn't yell. Doesn't shout. Just stares as a wave of anger swamps him over.

Taka needs to be taught a lesson.

And before Ahadi can think of which way to do it, his paw is gone, flies in the air and the claws are out, sinking into Taka's skin.

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**kate:** I love how much you're rooting for Taka and Sarabi. I don't know yet though, because the goal of this fanfiction was to explain why Scar/Taka was so evil in the first movie. I kind of wanted to stick with the "reality". But I don't know. Perhaps I'll want to go my own way. I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out!

**22teamplayer**: Yes, well every plan has a win/lose kind of thing. We don't know yet about Sarabi's reaction, but it's probably going to be in the next chapter. Hope you stick around. Thanks for reading/leaving a comment.

**TRON0602**: I'm not stopping until the whole story is said.


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